Manner of combining ti-ie barrels of guns and of firearms of various



J. GRISWOLD.

Muzzle-Loading Fire-Arm.

Patented Feb. 1, 1 842.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIC JESSE GRISWOLD, OF CHAMBERS COUNTY, ALABAMA.

MANNER 0F COMBINING TI-IE BARRELS 0F GUNS AND OF FIREARMS OF VARIOUSDESCRIPTIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,441, dated February 1, 1842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn GRrswoLD, of the county of Chambers and Stateof Alabama, have invented a new and Improved mode of constructing andcombining the barrels of guns and firearms of various descriptions, bywhich improved mode of construction a number of such guns or firearmsmay be simultaneously discharged; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description thereof.

I take any preferred number of barrels, or bodies, of guns, as shown atA, A, A, in the accompanying drawing, and place them side by side,securing them firmly together, and to a frame, or bedpiece, below them.These guns are to stand in the same place, and are to have their axesparallel to each other. Each of the barrels has a touch hole on itsupper side, and these are to be connected together by a tubular, orchanneled, piece of iron B, crossing the barrels, over said touch holes;this tubular, or channeled, piece is to be dovetailed into the barrels,or otherwise firmly secured thereto. The touch holes of the respectiveguns are continued through this piece of iron so as to enter itschannel, which is to contain the priming powder. The channeled piece B,B, is converted into a tube b covering the channel with a topplate, axed firmly thereto, and which top plate is perforated with holes, a, a,a, corresponding with the touch holes of the respec-tive barrels.

C O, is a lid, or cover, turning on hinges at Z), b, serving when downto cover the openings in the top plate B, and to protect the primingpowder. When the gun is to be fired, the plate 0, C, is to be turned up.

D, is a nipple to receive a percussion cap, which being struck by thehammer IE, will ignite the priming powder, and discharge the respectivebarrels.

F, F, is a stock furnished with a trigger and the other necessaryappendages of alock, for acting upon the hammer.

G, G, represent trunnions, or gudgeons, upon which the gun may besuspended when too heavy to manage by hand. The bearings of thesetrunnions may swivel, so as to allow the gun to be turned about in anydirection.

Although I have, in the drawing, represented my combined gun as composedof five barrels only, and these resembling musket barrels, I do notintend to limit myself to that number, or to such barrels, but to applythe same principle to a greater number, or to larger guns, such aspieces of ordnance used in land, or in naval, warfare. In the lattercase, a match may be used to fire the priming powder.

Instead of placing the guns side by side, all in the same plane, theymay be placed in two, or more, tiers, one above the other, a suitableframe being made for that purpose. I/Vhen this combined gun is fixedupon trunnions, it may be turned up for loading, so as to elevate themuzzles, by which means this operation will be performed with greatconvenience. The priming powder may be introduced at the openings a, a;or through openings in the ends of the channeled piece B, provided forthat purpose.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, inthe Within described combined guns, or firearms, is

The combining together in the same plane three or more, barrels, orbodies, of guns, whether large or small, in such manner as that they maybe fired simultaneously; the touch holes of said barrels, or bodies, ofguns being connected with each other by a tubular, or channeled piece ofmetal containing the priming powder, said piece of metal having a coverC, C, to protect the priming powder, and the whole being constructedsubstantially as herein set forth.

JESSEGRISWOLD.

WVitnesses:

VVILLLAM E. TAYLOR, OLIVER P. WATSON.

